hurdle

1. (athletics, equestrianism) An artificial barrier, variously constructed, over which athletes or horses jump in a race.Examples: "He ran in the 100 metres hurdles."

2. (figuratively) An obstacle, real or perceived, physical or abstract.Examples: "My last stop was an outdoor speech to a huge crowd of Ukrainians whom I urged to stay on the course of freedom and economic reform. Kiev was beautiful in the late spring sunshine, and I hoped its people could keep up the high spirits I had observed in the crowd. They still had many hurdles to clear."figuratively

3. (UK, historical) A sled or crate on which criminals were drawn to the place of execution.Examples: "In treason, the corporal punishment is by drawing on hurdle from the place of the prison to the place of execution, and by hanging and being cut down alive, bowelling, and quartering: and in women by burning."; "Such a crew! Ah! many a wretch has rid on hurdles who has done less mischief than these utterers of forged Tales, coiners of Scandal, and clippers of Reputation."; "Hurdles, with four, five, six wretches convicted of counterfeiting or mutilating the money of the realm, were dragged month after month up Holborn Hill. On one morning seven men were hanged and a woman burned for clipping"UKhistorical

4. (chess) A piece that is jumped over by a hopper piece.Examples: "Pieces that can move only by hopping over other pieces are termed Hoppers. It should be noted that hoppers capture in the usual way by eviction, they do not capture the hurdles over which they hop. The most popular hoppers are: The Equihopper (G. Leathem FCR 1938) which hops to the same distance beyond the hurdle as it is from it."